Lauren Shannon’s eventing blog: the final build-up to Osberton
Well, here we are, heading into my last 3-day event of the season!
Although it feels like a long season in some ways, the time does fly through the summer — especially when the weather cooperates like it has done this year. I cannot quite believe how far the horses have come on and it is a great feeling knowing that every one is exactly where we wanted them to be at this stage.
This means that Osberton 3-day event this week should be really enjoyable. Crunchie (Kilcannon Watlings Crunch) and Purdey (Quality Purdey, pictured at Burnham Market) are competing in the KBIS 7-year-old championship class, which runs at CCI2* level and Holly (Riffala Du Buisson) is competing in the huge CCI* class.
All the girls have been cantering as well as competing at their 1-days leading up to the event for their fitness. They have also been learning to stand nicely in the spa at Flawborough Equine so they can have a nice session after the event. Both Holly and Crunchie stand like angels with a bit of food to concentrate on, but Purdey much prefers dancing to standing, so has yet to experience the bubbles in the spa! There is always one diva in a group…
As the mares are all going so nicely, we spent the weekend taking the younger horses showjumping and to a local hunter trial. Hunter trials are great experience for the babies, they get to see lots of new fences without too much dressing as well as compete without the same atmosphere as an affiliated event. I took a couple of horses, who both behaved impeccably as well as both my working students and their horses. It was lovely to have a no pressure weekend and all the babies deserve a few days off after how hard they worked!
It is quite lucky that they are having a quiet time though, as packing and preparing for a 3-day doesn’t seem to get any quicker, no matter how much I do it! There are so many things to think about, from owners and their passes to food for the lorry and how the horses are worked while you’re away. It seems trivial, but there isn’t anyone else to pick up the slack, so the last couple days before going away are always mayhem. Luckily both my girls, Becky and Jess, are really on the ball and we never have any — or many — tense moments!
So here’s hoping for a really successful week at Osberton. Fingers crossed nothing happens like the dream I had last night where I was told I missed out a fence when I was sure I jumped it!
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But honestly, the mares have given me so much throughout the year, it’d be lovely to end on a high note.
Lauren
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Event rider Lauren Shannon blogged on Horseandhound.co.uk from June 2011 until September 2014. Born in Brighton, she lived in America from the age of three to 16, returning to the UK to go to university after she finished school. After university she worked for Mark and Tanya Kyle before setting up her own yard in Leicestershire. Her best result to date was finishing 9th at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials with her top horse, Zero Flight.